Leftovers

I have been reading the book "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan lately. I have enjoyed most of the book, but one chapter has been in mind the past few days. The Chapter is about giving God our leftovers as opposed to being full out on fire for him. He mentions a quote by John Piper where Piper asks if we could have heaven and everything that comes with it, the only thing missing being Christ, would we take it. I really started thinking about this. Am I a Christian because of what i get in heaven? If I knew I could have heaven and all of its perks without Christ would I take it? I think believers have came to the point where many of us might say yea I think I would take that deal. I have become so convicted by this thought the past few days. My relationship with God is not where I want it to be. I want to be so in love with Jesus and have such a good relationship with HIM that I would be driven not by the future treasures I will receive in heaven, buy by my relationship with the one who made those treasures attainable.

Real? or Repetitive?

This Sunday I am preaching at my church for the Sunday morning service. I have been praying for awhile on what i wanted to speak on. I kept coming back to Matthew 13 and the parable of the sower. Through preparing for this message and digging into the true meaning behind this parable, my eyes were opened. Opened not only to the meaning of the soils Jesus described, but to which soil I felt I best represented. I wanted to believe I was the good soil. The soil that was perfect for Spiritual growth and maturity. However I found myself thinking, "Is my heart truly prepared to receive God's Word daily. I found myself in a "spiritual" rut. Devotions had become more repetitive than real. Do we really want to being doing devotions because it is the right thing to do? Do we do them because we have heard preachers say we are supposed to? I believe if we are not careful we get into the habit of praying or reading God's Word without thinking about what we are saying or reading. God want's us all to be real, not repetitive. I pray that every time I open God's Word for devotions or go to Him in prayer that I come to Him being real and not just because I feel obligated.